The Pied Bull, Chester, Cheshire

As the hotel dates back to the 11th century, it has its fair share of ghostly goings-on and paranormal happenings, warranting an investigation by the television show ‘Whines and Spirits’. The ghost of a man is said to haunt the cellar and the cellar seems to be the hub of all of the paranormal activity, with some staff members actually refusing to go down there alone.

The man who haunts the cellar is thought to be named John Davies, and in 1609 it was reported that ‘he casually fell down a flight of stairs leading to the cellar belonging to the pied bull, and with a knife in his hand… and died’. As well as the ghost in the cellar, two of the bedrooms are said to be haunted by chambermaids who used to work at the hotel – perhaps they enjoyed their time there so much, they didn’t want to leave?

Brief History

Dating back to the 12th century, the Pied Bull is thought to be the oldest continuously licensed premises in Chester. It used to be a coaching inn and so has had a huge number of guests staying there during its time as a stop-off point for people travelling up and down the country. In 1533, when the hotel was known as the ‘Bull Mansion’, a handmade wooden staircase was installed, which is still standing today. In 1784, a coach and four started to run from the hotel, ran by John Paul to Birkenhead, and in 1854 George Borrow stayed here before his tour of ‘Wild Wales’. Now, the hotel is run as a town-centre oak-beamed pub and hotel.

About

The Pied Bull is an attractive town centre inn with ‘rooms as individual as you are’, situated right in the heart of the historic town of Chester making it an ideal location for exploring all that Chester and Cheshire have to offer. The hotel still retains much of its old charm, so many of the rooms have a number of traditional features that you’d expect from an 11th-century pub, including oak beams, wooden panelling and tall open fireplaces.

The rooms are decorated in a sympathetic manner, with opulent fabrics and interesting artwork. There are 13 comfortable rooms at the hotel and they compromise of a mixture of doubles, twins, four-poster doubles and a luxury room. All room rates come inclusive of breakfast and start from a very reasonable £65. The hotel restaurant, aside from serving breakfast, also offers a wide choice of fresh, locally sourced British meals, including T-bone steak, Sunday roast dinner and 28-day matured Scottish Aberdeen Angus beef. A number of very sophisticated meals are also available, including their pork and leek terrine and smoked salmon salad. There are facilities for the lone traveller right through to 200 guests for a wedding – simply give their friendly team a call and let them know what you’re after.

Features

En-suite bedrooms
Tea and coffee making facilities in every room
Bath/shower
Kettle
Television in every room
Heated towel rails
Breakfast included in the room rate
Broadband available free in public areas of the hotel
Table/working area
Ideal location in the town centre

Room Tariff

Standard double room available from £75.00, based on two people sharing, breakfast included.
Standard twin room available from £75.00, based on two people sharing, breakfast included.
4 poster double room available from £85.00, based on two people sharing, breakfast included.
Luxury double room available from £95.00, based on two people sharing, breakfast included.

Things to do

Chester is chock-full of things to see and do, being an incredibly historical Roman city. You could go for a walk in the breathtaking nearby countryside, shop ‘til you drop, soak up some culture at the theatre or on the Chester ghost walk or you could have a relaxing day at the spa. Whatever your reason for coming to Chester, you’re sure to find something to do to suit you, your friends or your family.